The Mahon Tribunal is to ask the prison authorities to grant former assistant Dublin city and county manger Mr George Redmond leave to attend hearings at which evidence relating to the imprisoned former planning official is being heard.
Redmond had applied to the tribunal to be allowed to leave prison to attend hearings on a daily basis but Judge Mahon said he would only ask for release on days when matters of relevance to the 79-year-old were being heard.
Redmond received temporary release from prison this morning to attend the tribunal's opening statement for its next module of evidence. Redmond is serving a 12-month sentence for corruption in Cloverhill Prison in a case unrelated to his appearances before the tribunal.
"If I was a free man I would be here every day at this inquiry. Therefore I ask you to allow me to attend every day during this module," Redmond said.
The upcoming module is to investigate the connection between the ownership of lands in Lucan and Baldoyle in Dublin and Mr Liam Lawlor, Mr Jim Kennedy and Mr Jim Cauldwell and also the ownership of lands in Carrickmines and their connection to the three men. Redmond was due to give evidence on this module to the tribunal in early February.
Redmond said prison authorities would accept the decision of the tribunal if he were allowed to attend every day. "I am asking you to ask them to allow me to be here every day," he said.
Judge Alan Mahon told Redmond: "We will ensure that you receive a copy of the evidence [daily]. The tribunal does not require you to be here on a daily basis."